Why Suddenly The Tantrums and Butterflies In the Stomach?!

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

The reader: Hasan ibn al-Rabīʿ narrated to us; Ḥammād ibn Zayd narrated to us, from Ayyūb and Hishām, from Muḥammad; and Fuḍayl narrated to us from Hishām. He said: Makhlad ibn Ḥusayn narrated to us from Hishām, from Muḥammad ibn Sīrīn, who said:

“Indeed, this knowledge is religion, so examine the one from whom you acquire your religion.”

The Shaikh (Muhammad Ibn Salih Al-Uthaymin – may Allah have mercy upon him – said: It is true, knowledge is religion. For indeed, it is incumbent upon a person to carefully examine regarding it. He should examine from whom he acquires his religion: Is he (the person) trustworthy or untrustworthy, precise or unprecise. And other than that among that which varies the conditions of people. This Athar was (also) cited by Muhammad al-Bukhari in an abridged form in his Ṣaḥīḥ. [1]

The Shaikh, may Allah have mercy upon him, also said: We add trustworthiness as an additional characteristic alongside proficiency because proficiency is a strength and it has to be accompanied by trustworthiness. Allah said:

إِنَّ خَيۡرَ مَنِ ٱسۡتَـٔۡجَرۡتَ ٱلۡقَوِىُّ ٱلۡأَمِينُ

Verily, the best of men for you to hire is the strong, the trustworthy. [Al-Qasas. 26]

It may be that a scholar is proficient and vast in knowledge, able to derive and explain subsidiary issues from fundamental principles, as well as categorise, distinguish and place different subject matters in their appropriate place, but he is not trustworthy and might misguide you from where you do not know. [2]

Imam Al-Awzaa’ee, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:

O Muslims! Fear Allah, accept the advice of the sincere advisers and the admonition of the admonishers. know that this knowledge is religion, so beware of what you do, from whom you acquire your religion, the one you follow and the one with whom your religion is safe, because indeed all the proponents of religious innovation are all falsifiers, liars and sinners. They are not cautious – neither do they pay attention nor do they fear, and together with that they are not to be trusted that they would not distort what you hear.

They say what they do not know with regards to what they disapprove and when proclaiming their lies; but Allaah (knows, hears and sees) what they do. Therefore, be cautious of them, trust them not, reject them and avoid them, because indeed this is what your earlier scholars did and commanded, and likewise the righteous ones who came thereafter.

Be careful of opposing Allah and being the means to destroying the religion He has ordained – breaking its commands and prohibitions, nullifying and weakening it by respecting the innovators in religious affairs and those who initiate that which is not from the religion, because you know what has been transmitted (i.e. the prohibitions) about respecting or exalting them. And what can be greater respect and exaltation than acquiring your religion from them- following and believing them, drawing close to them and assisting them to entice the ones they entice and woo to their views, and the religion (i.e. Bidah) they follow. This is sufficient to be regarded as associates of theirs in what they do. [3]

[1] https://alathar.net/home/esound/index.php?op=codevi&coid=104284
[2] An Excerpt from Sharh Hilya Talib Al-Ilm. p22
[3] Tarikh Dimashq 6/361